Material forming apparatus



Nov. 20, 1962 F. w. KULlcKE, JR

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1959 l,// Nw NOV- 20, 1962 F. w. KULlcKE, JR

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed July 29, 1959 lig TTDRMiL/m Nov. 20, 1962 F- W- Kul-CKE JR 3,064,708

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 29. 1959 4 sheets-sheet s Z-N v EN 71D@ Ew KUL/5K5' dq.

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A ma KUL/7K5 d@ 52 TTC/@N55 United States Patent Ollice ifm Patented Nov. 20, 192

3,964,703 MATERAL FRMING APPARATUS Frederick W. Knlicke, lr., Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, NY., a corporation of N ew York Filed uly 29, 1959, Ser. No. 830,337 4 Claims. (Cl. 153-25) This invention relates to apparatus for forming end portions of articles particularly flattened ends of wires.

In the manufacture of certain types of electrical components, lead wires must be secured thereto. With some electrical components, such as diodes, a metallic housing enclosing the diode has a lead xed to one end thereof, while the other end is provided with a metallic tubulation, the sealed end of which is to be secured to another lead. In this instance it has been found necessary to provide a flattened end of the lead with a pocket to substantially surround and enclose the sealed end of the tubulation to protect the sealed end and provide a strong connection therewith. The present invention centers about the formation of articles and particularly leads to be secured to sealed ends of metallic tubulations.

On object of the present invention is an apparatus which is simple in structure and highly ecient in forming articles, particularly flattened ends of wires.

In accordance with the object, the apparatus for forming an end portion of an elongated article includes companion members relatively movable to grip the article short of said end portion and companion elements supported for movement relative to each other and the members to form bends in the end portion of the article.

More speciiically, the companion members have olfset portions to provide an olf-set bend in the article, or wire having a ilattened end, short of said end. The companion elements are mounted for movement with each other on a carriage at an angle with respect to the flattened end of the wire and actuable relative to each other to start a bend in the flattened end and grip a length of the flattened end between the elements after which additional movement of the elements with the carriage will produce bends in the llattened end to form a pocket located adjacent the ofi-set portion and in general alignment with the remaining portion of the wire.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FiG. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of the apparatus, portions thereof being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view illustrating the relative positions of the companion members and companion elements near the beginning of the operating cycle;

FiG. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view ofthe structure shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the beginning of the forming operation by the companion elements;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrating the action of the companion elements at a further position of the forming operation; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view illustrating the positions of the companion elements and companion members at the completion of the forming half of the operating cycle.

In the present instance, the article to be formed is a wire 1G having a flattened end 11 of a given length and held by a holder 12 for movement into the forming position.

Attention is iirst directed to FIGS. 3 to 6, inclusive.

When the wire 10 is moved into the forming position or station, it is located beneath a forming member 14, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The forming member 14 has an olf-set portion 15 and a backing surface 16. A movable forming member 17 is located normally in the broken line position, FIG. 3, when the wire 10 is moved into the forming station and is later moved into the solid line position where an ofi-set portion 1S thereof cooperates with the off-set portion 15 in bending or olfsetting a portion 19 in the wire short of the flattened end 11 and moving the flattened end upwardly to the solid line position. Therefore, the companion members 14 and 17 cooperate not only in firmly holding the wire short of the flattened end 11 but in forming an olf-set portion in the wire to provide a space for a pocket which is to be formed of a flattened end 11.

Companion elements 20 and 21 cooperate in bending the flattened end 11 of the wire. The element 20 is of the triangular contour shown and is movable in a straight line toward the corner formed by an inner face 22 of the member 17 and the botte-m surface of the olf-set portion 19. During this movement of the element 20, the element 21 is moved successively from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 to engage the flattened end 11, move a portion thereof toward the element 20, where it is gripped sufficiently to produce the bends in the remaining portion as started in FIG. 5 and finished in FIG. 6.

The forming member 14 (FIG. l) is mounted at a iixed position on a frame 23. The movable member 17 is slidable in a guideway 24 of the frame 23 and is urged normally downwardly away from the member 14 by a spring 25. The lower end of the member 17 is operatively connected to one end of a cam lever 26 by suitable means, not shown. The cam lever 26 is pivotally mounted at 27 on the frame 23 and has a cam roller 28 held against the periphery of a cam 29 by the spring 25. The cam 29 is llxedly mounted on a cam shaft 30 which is rotatably supported by the main frame 23 and an auxiliary frame 31. The cam shaft 3() is driven by belt 32 operatively connected to a suitable power means, not shown.

The element 2Q is of the length shown in FIG. 2 and has one end integral with a mounting member 34 which is fixed at 35 to a reduced end 36 of a mounting plate 37. The mounting plate 37 is fixed to a slide 38 which is supported for movement at an angle to the plane of the flattened end 11 of the wire as shown in FIG. 3. The carriage has a dovetail formation for sliding engagement against a face 4l) of the wall or frame 23 between guides 41 and 42 having similar dovetail formations to receive the dovetail portion of the slide.

A block 44, fixed to the slide 38, extends into an elongated aperture 45 of the frame 23 where it is engaged by a spring 46 normally urging the carriage to the right, FIG. 2, or into its open or normal position away from the companion members 14 and 17. A cam follower or roller 48, mounted at one end of the slide, is positioned to engage a cam 49 mounted on the cam shaft 30 where it is held against the cam by the spring 46. A bracket 50, secured to the slide by a suitable means 51, cooperates with the mounting plate 37, through apertures therein, in supporting the ends 52 and 53 of a spindle 54. A rocking lever 55 of the contour shown in FIGS. l and 2 is disposed in a cut-away portion 56 of the bracket 50 and is mounted on the spindle 54. Recesses 57 and 58, disposed respectively in the bracket 50 and the lever 55, house the ends of a spring 59 which urges the lever 55 counterclockwise and serves to normally urge the element 21 into closed position shown in FIGS. l, 5, and 6.

The element 21 is iixed at 69 to a portion 61 of one end of the lever 55. The other end of the lever carries sheaves a roller 62 which is under the control of an actuator 65, particularly a surface 66 thereof. The actuator is fixed to a spindle 67 which is supported for rotation by the frame 26 and has a cam lever 63 mounted thereon. The cam lever 68 carries a cam roller 69 held in engagement with a cam 71) mounted on the cam shaft 30 by a spring 71.

Operation The cam shaft 30 is operated in timed relation with the article or Wire holder 12 moving articles or wires with flattened ends successively into the'forming station. When each wire reaches the forming station, it is, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, positioned adjacent the undersurface of the forming member 14. Immediately thereafter, the power means for driving the cam shaft 30 is rendered effectively either by energization or through suitable clutch means, not shown, to bring about one full cycle of the cam shaft.

This full cycle brings about two halves of an operating cycle of the apparatus, the first half being the forming half cycle and the other being the return half cycle wherein the companion elements return to their starting position and the forming members, particularly the movable forming member 17, are moved to free the completed article or Wire.

During the first or forming half of the operating cycle, the cam 49 starts movement of the carriage 38 in a plane at an angle to the plane of the flattened end 11 toward the juncture of the forming elements 14 and 17. At the same time, the cam 29, through actuation of its cam lever 26, causes the movable forming member 17 to close, firmly gripping the wire and cooperating with the member 14 in providing the off-set portion 19 in the wire and the laying of the off-set portion adjacent the undersurface of the member 14.

The cam 70 functions in a manner to open the companion elements 20 and 21 so that the element 21 will be positioned as shown in FIG. 3 to engage the outer portion of the flattened end of the wire and move it toward the element 20 where it will be gripped, as shown in FlG. 5. When the elements 2i) and 21 are in the positions shown in FIGS. and 6, they are under the forceV of the spring 59. Although the element 21 is constantly under the force of theV spring 59, its actions are controlled by the cam 711, its lever 68, for moving the actuator 65 so that its surface 66 will act on thev roller 62 and against the force of the spring 59 to bring about the initial opening of the element 21 or its movement away from and back to the element to produce the result illustrated in FlGS. 3 to 6, inclusive. After the elements 20 and 21 are closed, they move in a direct path with the carriage to form the pocket of the flattened end of the wire and to lay the pocket against the off-set portion 19 so that the pocket will be in general alignment with the remaining or main portion of the wire.

At the end of the first half of the operating cycle, the cam 70 and the actuator 65 function to move the element 21 into open position at the beginning of the movement of the carriage back to its normal position by the spring 46 so that there Will be no disturbance of the formed portion of the wire. Furthermore, the companion surfaces identified at 72 and 73 of the elements v20 and 21, lie in the plane of movement of the carriage so that there will be no disturbance of the formed portion of the wire during the last half cycle.

Furthermore, the closed positions of the elements 20 and 21 are such that there is never a firm gripping action which may be called a pinching action of the elements on the portion of the Wire held therebetween. This is not necessary to produce the bends formed in the wire by the members and elements and, theefOre, there is not an extreme gripping action which must lbe opened but a gentle holding action between the elements which is opened immediately upon the start of the return half cycle of the apparatus.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

Whatv is claimed is:

. 1. An apparatus for forming a pocket in a lflattenedlength of a wire extending to one end thereof comprising companion members, means to cause relative movement ofthe companion members to cause them to grip the wire short of the flattened length thereof and to position the flattened length so that a longitudinal centerline thereof will be initially in a given plane, a carriage, means to support the carriage for movement between astarting position and an operated position relative to the companion members and'at an angle relative to the plane, a tired forming element; mounted on the carriage, a movable forming element disposed on the carriage, means mounted on the carriage to support the movable element for movement -between an openrposition away from the fixed element and a closed position closely adjacent the fixed element, means normally urging the movable element into the open position, a cam operable to cause movements of the carriage toward its operated position,

and cam controlled means operable to cause the mov-v able element to move an end portion of the flattened length of the wire into close engagement with the fixed element to thereby grip said portion and form a pocket in the flattened length of the wire during movementrof ,the carriage from its starting position to its operated position.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which an end member integral with the movable forming element causes forming of a bend in the flattened length for an inner extremity of the pocket during movement of the elements with the carriage.

3. An apparatus according to claim l in which an outer' surface of the movable element is adapted to force substantially all the remainder of the flattened length of the wire against an adjacent unffattened portion of the wire to complete forming and positioning of a pocket on the flattened length of wire relative to the unfiattened portion.

4. An apparatus according to claim l in which an outer surface of the movable element is adapted to force substantially all the remainder of the flattened length of the wire against an adjacent unflattened portion of the wire to complete forming and positioning of a pocket on the flattened length of vwire relative to the unfiattened portion, forming portions of the companion members cooperating during gripping of the wire to form an ott-set portion in the Wire short of the flattened length so thatV the pocket formed of the flattened length will be located in the ofi-set portion of the wire.

References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,159 Stokes lune 10, 1884 1,135,534 Kruse Apr. 13, 1915 1,629,813 Stevenson May 24, 1927 2,329,769 Kinyonv Sept. 21, 1943 2,477,020 Van Sant July 26, 1949 2,667,201 Kilham Ian. 26, 1954 2,687,162 Smith Aug. 24, 1954 2,779,993 Pityo Feb. 5, 1957 

